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HaleMoana
11/14/2012, 03:29 PM
6 fish have gone missing over the last several weeks. My first thought was a bully, but haven't witnessed any aggression by anyone. Tank is a 3 month old 220 gallon with screen tops.

Here is the timeline:
4 x Helfrichi firefish. Happy
Mated pair of A. Percula (happy, never been an issue)
Mated pair of Carpenter Flashers

Introduced a trio of Flame Wrasses
A week or so later, female Carpenter went missing. I saw her tail hiding in the rock work. When I fed the tank, she scampered to the back and I never saw her again.

Another week later, 3 of the Helfichi's went missing. Assumed to be in their sleeping spot never to be seen again.
Another week later, the fourth Helfrichi went MIA.
Just this week... One of the female Flames is now gone.

The suspects:
Female Percula. She has been nesting and might have actually dropped a couple clutches off eggs. Haven't seen it, but lots of snails have been hanging out where she nests.
Male Carpenter Flasher. Cruises the tank actively and did flash the flames quite a bit when they were first introduced.
Female Flame or Male Flame. Seem to be friendly, but I don't see everything.
Unknown predator? I can't imagine how a hitchhiker (mantis, etc) would have gotten in there. My rock was dry for several months before I started to cycle them in a Rubbermaid.

Thoughts?

hkarmy25
11/14/2012, 04:11 PM
I feel like if it was any of the three first listed, you might still see some remnants of the missing fish. Then again, it is a 220. When i started reading i was going to say a hitchhiker, but seeing as your rock was dry this seems unlikely as well. Is there anything else you have added to the tank since you set it up that a possible hitchhiker could of came in on?

HaleMoana
11/14/2012, 04:19 PM
Two orders of inverts from R2G. Snails only.
Although I did see a tiny hermit (at least I think it's a hermit) in a nassarius snail. I never buy hermits, so he definitely got in there under a nassarius disguise. lol

Banded Trochus, Nassarius (tonga and vibex).

I guess it could be a bully. If one of my suspects is bullying the others, then it could scare them into hiding where they'll never come out. Not even to eat. But as I said.... I haven't seen any aggression.

Breadman03
11/14/2012, 05:38 PM
I got 2 hermits and a gorilla from R2G in a nassarius order. The gorilla was tiny, so I tossed him in the tank until it was big enough to ID. Once he was big enough, I served my CUC crab sushi.